Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan

2 reviews

lunep's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 Resolution for 2024: start writing at least a couple lines per book

I really liked the second half but I had started to get bored at the end of the first half. This one was different from the first two in that it didn't start as slow as the other ones, in fact, the expedition started pretty quick, but when the trouble started to arise it started to get a little dull. 

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the_escapist's review

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

In this third instalment, Isabella & co voyage across the seas to study giant sea serpents and investigate how closely they’re related to other dragon species.
 
It’s fairly optimistic in tone, very adventurous (remains me of Around the World in 80 Days in some aspects), and the writing style is elegant without being dense. There’s a lot of humanity to it without overlooking the more negative aspects, and there are nice friendships that develop along the way. There’s also explorations of different cultures, a tiny bit of archaeology, sprinkles of humour, and the pacing is medium-slow. I should probably point out that the focus is very much on the journey and adventure rather than just the dragons or the characters though.

This has been my favourite in the series so far. Loved some of the new characters who were introduced (and hope to see them again later in the series), and I love all things underwater, and I ended up even more satisfied than I was expecting on that front. A very solid and fun read overall, with a few laughs and slow but satisfying character development.

Another thing – how great is it to have a book for an adult market which has illustrations inside? I wish more books did this because it adds such a nice touch to the reading experience, especially in this genre where the only illustration you usually get is a map at the start. 

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